Like this:
Iran's embattled President Mohammad Khatami conceded Monday he had failed to implement his democratic reform program, claiming he had bowed to the will of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his hard-line allies to avoid riots and preserve the ruling Islamic establishment.
It's a good thing Khatami gave a speech to explain this because I'm sure that a lot of Iranians have been scratching their heads about this mystery. Khatami wasn't ineffective in fighting for democracy. He surrendered to the mullahs to "preserve the ruling Islamic establishment." So that's why he did it. Because to his voters, preserving the Islamic establishment was right up there, right? I mean, that's why the Iranians voted for him--to preserve the mullah rule. Democracy was right out, correct?
But instead of contemplating his own absolute failure to push for any type of democracy, Khatami claims he let his supporters down because he feared unrest and violence. Or at least unrest and violence different from the unrest and violence the regime has imposed on the people. He failed the people who counted on Khatami to battle the mullahs who have made Iran a nuclear pariah and thug state that sponsors terrorists.
As some of the Iranian students who listened to his speech shouted:
"Khatami, Khatami shame on you!" Others yelled out: "Incompetent Khatami, may our vote not bless you!"
Shame, indeed. I hope we are working to inspire a revolt that will not end until the mullahs are on the run.
But until then, thank goodness Khatami cleared Iran's recent history right up--Iran's attempt at democratic reform failed. Duh.
